Conventional hot water tanks are supported in a bottom pan in turn provided with metal legs for supporting the pan a given distance above a concrete floor or the ground. The fire box for the heater tank is normally in the under-central portion of the heater itself, the bottom pan upon which the tank sits overlying the underside of the heater. The supporting legs are generally in the form of angle irons which are welded or otherwise secured to the pan. These legs are generally six to eight inches long in order to provide a relatively large air space beneath the pan under the theory that the same should be heat insulated from the ground by such an arrangement.
In actuality, with the foregoing type of conventional support for the hot water tank, the metal tank itself is in direct conductive metallic contact with the underpan. The pan, also of metal, is in direct conductive metallic contact with the metal legs. Thus, a substantial portion of heat in the tank is passed by simple conductance through the bottom pan and legs to the ground, thereby resulting in heat loss and inefficiency. The supporting of the pan itself a relatively high distance above the ground on the theory that such will provide better heat insulation does not really provide any more appreciable insulation than were the pan supported a few inches off the ground. In fact, the closer the bottom of the tank is to the ground, up to a certain point, the better cooling effect can result from convection currents passing between the underside of the pan and the ground. Where the space is fairly confined, high velocity air tends to flow thereacross while a larger space holding the pan further above the ground results in a decreased velocity air flow or circulating air and thus less heat dissipation, thereby in actuality defeating the alleged purpose of high support for the heater pan.